Question 85·Easy·Inferences
Megumi liked to jog at dawn, but she often worried that she might ignore her alarm and go back to sleep. On evenings when she felt particularly tired, she would lay out her running shoes and a bottle of water right next to her bedroom door before going to bed. She figured that spotting them first thing in the morning would make it harder to skip her run. This practice functioned as ____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For "function/purpose" completion questions, first identify the specific problem or concern mentioned just before the blank. Then ask what role the described action or object plays in addressing that problem. Eliminate choices that introduce new topics (like cleanliness, noise, or buying things) that the passage never mentions, and pick the option that directly matches the stated concern and the cause-and-effect described in the text.
Hints
Locate the key sentence
Reread the sentence that begins "On evenings when she felt particularly tired" and especially the sentence starting with "She figured that spotting them first thing in the morning..." What is she trying to prevent from happening?
Identify the problem she’s solving
Ask yourself: Is Megumi worried about dirty shoes, hallway noise, or needing new equipment? Or is her concern something else described earlier in the passage?
Think about the effect of seeing the items
Consider how seeing her shoes and water by the door first thing in the morning would affect her behavior. What role do those items play in helping her deal with her earlier worry?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand Megumi’s concern
First, focus on why Megumi changes her behavior in the evening. The passage says she "often worried that she might ignore her alarm and go back to sleep" instead of jogging. So her main concern is that she might skip her run when she’s tired.
See what the practice is
Next, look at what she actually does: she lays out her running shoes and a bottle of water next to her bedroom door. The key line is: "She figured that spotting them first thing in the morning would make it harder to skip her run." Her purpose is to influence what she does in the morning when she sees the shoes and water.
Match the purpose to the best completion
Now, evaluate each choice against that purpose. The passage never mentions dirty shoes (so not about cleaning), hallway noise, or buying new athletic gear. Instead, the entire description is about helping her follow through with her dawn jog despite being tired. Therefore, the practice functioned as a reminder that helped Megumi stick to her exercise routine.